3 reasons you should never call someone a future leader

Leading is not a future state. It is where we find ourselves all day every day.

We hear it all the time: A person in a position of authority or power—often in the C-suite—refers to a talented team member as a future leader. While meant as a compliment, this language has negative “unintended consequences,” as Robert Merton described, which have an opposite effect than the speaker meant to convey. Why is the term “future leader” one to avoid?